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Roland Crakehall
Ser Roland Crakehall is the current Lord of House Crakehall, of Crakehall in the Westerlands. Appearance Roland is a fairly tall and well-built man compared to most, something common to the Crakehalls, though also owing to a keen regime of military training. His hair is dark, almost black, though littered with hints of grey, often kept short with a shaven beard. He has a fairly large nose, and a pair of lips often curved into a smile, the slight wrinkles around the bottom half of his face forming the outlines and creases of his usual smiling state. History Roland Crakehall was born to Andar Crakehall and Jeyne Crakehall (née Lefford) in the year 357 AC, making him the eldest of their five children. In his early childhood he developed and grew quickly, a trait often attributed to children of the Crakehall line. Even at five years old when his younger brother Lewyn had just been born, he had already expressed his interests in watching the knights and soldiers training and wishing to join them. At the age of ten, Roland was sent to Casterly Rock, as per an agreement his father had made with Damion Lannister many years ago, with his younger brother also being sent a few years later. It was here he was taken on as a squire and his education taken care of until he grew into a man. As soon as training began, it did not take long for the young Roland to be clearly recognisable as the Crakehall's eldest son; It is known in the West that House Crakehall has a strong natural tradition for their renowned effectiveness with cavalry in particular, and Roland was no different, quickly excelling with his riding skills. As Roland grew and was required to take part in training exercises with other soldiers and squires, his teachers also commented often on how martially adept the boy seemed to have become in such a short space of time, standing out among most of the squires, though his greatest shows of ability came when he combined his strengths, his aptitude for riding and weaponry clearly leading him to favour lances over any other choice of weapons. By the age of fifteen, none of the other squires and lower ranking soldiers who trained with him could defeat or unhorse him in joust practices or mounted combat drills. These demonstrations, along with how well Roland seemed to be settling in with the Lannisters, greatly pleased his father who visited him and his brother at least twice a year when he was able. As the older of the two Roland, would also return home for customary slightly longer visits once a year. In 373 while staying at home, Roland courted and was wed to Genna Hawthorne, whom he had met on his home visit a year prior after which the two of them returned to live close to Casterly Rock as husband and wife. At the very start of the year 375, Roland received a letter from his father requesting his return to Crakehall. Having been at the Rock when the High Septon arrived and Lord Damion freeing the Rock's prisoners to join the Faith Millitant, Roland was well aware before he arrived that his father had likely brought him home to discuss the possibility of a coming war. this war inevitably came in the form of the Great Schism. Later that year, when Damion called the banners of the houses along the border with the Reach, House Crakehall answered. Lord Roland was given command of his own small unit, though under the central leadership of his uncle, Jaremy Crakehall, whom the men knew as the Steel Boar. As part of the Lannister army, they rode South, pillaging the Reach lands they passed through and carving a path to Red Lake, the seat of House Crane. There, they were met by a Reach army, led by none other than Ser Loras Tyrell. When the battle ensued, Roland and Jaremy's forces mounted a powerful cavalry charge into the Tyrell host's right flank, into which the Lannister men led by Loreon and Lyman Lannister pressed forward to attack Loras. Meanwhile, the aftermath of the Crakehall's charge had left them in the midst of a contingent of Oakheart men. At the sight of the Steel Boar and his men crashing into their ranks, many of the Reachmen scattered, but Lord Edric Oakheart stood his ground, leading several of his most loyal men to surround Ser Jaremy and with him, Roland and a few other Crakehall knights. This tactic, however, was in vain, as Jaremy flew into a rage and charged the lord of Old Oak. Roland followed and watched as his uncle swept the enemy's defences aside, almost hacking Edric's head from his shoulders as his axe hit the lord's neck, killing him and pushing his forces back. This victory on their side was short lived, as at the centre of the field, Lyonel Lannister had seen his cousins Loreon and Lyman slain by Ser Loras, and charged to face him, eventually killing the Tyrell commander. With the Reach having witnessed the duel and becoming enraged, they forced the Lannister army to retreat back as far as their own borders, and not long after the war between the Reach and West was finished. Roland came home both hardened and humbled, learning well the ways of war from his uncle’s counsel and their loss at Red Lake. Cutting his teeth on a real battle gave him the true training he needed to consider himself to have fully mastered his riding skills, but the experience also showed him the human cost of war. While it was always clear he would be a great fighter and commander in the field, he now understood the responsibility that would come with it. Shortly after his return, Genna became pregnant with their first child, Bethany Crakehall. hoping for an heir, Roland and his wife tried again, and the following year their prayers were answered, with the birth of their eldest son Bryan Crakehall. With his father complaining of an illness and his uncle outright refusing to attend, Roland and his brother Lewyn were the main representatives of House Crakehall at the wedding of Lord Lyonel in 380 AC. With his father not there and his brother quickly developing an appetite for drink that would later become a reputation, Roland was the first Crakehall to learn of the news that Beron Baratheon was to squire at Casterly Rock. With such news in hand, Roland chose to return to Casterly Rock with his family, serving as his fathers eyes and ears in the Lannister court and as a loyal member of the council to Lyonel during Beron's time as his ward. It was not long after they had retunred that Roland's wife once again became pregnant with another boy, and they named their third child Harrold. Eight years later, not long before the time came for Beron to leave the Rock to tour the Free Cities, Roland would return home once again to the grim news that his father had passed away in his sleep, and that he had inherited the title of Lord of Crakehall. Shortly after the news he and his family fully moved home for him to fully assume the role of lord. Later the same year, Roland's uncle Jaremy also passes away. His first orders of business were to see to possible family ties his father had somewhat neglected. With his brother Aron squiring in Castamere, he had become a fairly desirable bachelor. Roland quickly helped him arrange a match with a Lannister girl of their branch, and at the same time received and accepted an offer on behalf of Tyland Lannister for the hand of his youngest sister Melessa, further securing his ties to the Lannisters of Castamere. With the Third Targaryen Rebellion throwing yet another dark curtain over the realm in 390 AC, tensions quickly boiled up in the West, leading to what was known as the Torn Council, arguing back and forth long before it came time for the Westerlands to decide where it would stand in the war. Several southern lords along the border with the Reach argued that now was once again to strike a revenge blow against the Tyrells for their actions in and after the Great Schism. While Roland was at first inclined to agree, the memories of the battle of Red Lake well etched into his mind and his opinions on the Reach’s potential to stab them in the back, he was reminded of how the Crown looked kindly on Lyonel and rewarded him for his actions to repair the damage between the nations. While he remained wary of the Reach, he was swayed away from the side of another war on the South border, and the decision was eventually reached for the West to begin marshalling its troops, but to hold them at their borders until it was certain they would be needed. As the Targaryen forces pressed westward, lord Roland moved out with a small contingent of men for the Golden Tooth. His mother having originally been a Lefford, he and his men, which included his brother Lewyn, pledged themselves to the gathered defense forces of Lefford and Royce at the Tooth. Meanwhile, he gave the rest of his force, which mainly consisted of mounted knights not suited to the defence, orders to split into smaller bands and convoys to shore up supply lines throughout the Westerlands. The Crakehalls at the Tooth were but a small part of the force that held back Aelyx’s army for three arduous months, but one man who stood out among them was Lewyn Crakehall. Despite being only a boy at the time he first saw war, and his actions there going largely unrecorded, the brother of lord Roland was a force to be reckoned with among the soldiers defending the Tooth, smashing down swathes of Aelyx’s men with his hammer every time they attempted an advance. Eventually, Roland and his men along with the rest of the men guarding the Tooth, were relieved by the men known as the Frostborn; a combined force of men from the Northern kingdoms who had rallied against the Targaryens. With word of further Lannister forces advancing to chase Aelyx away, Roland and his men remained at the Tooth until the end of the war to ensure no harm would come to the West. Some years later, the Crakehalls attended the festivities at the Lannisport Tourney, Roland and Lewyn both making a capable showing in the joust and melee. Rumours circulated that Lyonel’s son, Tygett, who won the day in both of the main events, had the melee and joust rigged in his favour. Both men were convinced that this was far from the case, having competed and therefore knowing for themselves that there had been no cheating they could detect. When a Reach knight rather rudely voiced such concerns, Lewyn took it personally and broke the man’s nose before Roland was able to stop him from doing further damage, and they promptly left shortly after. to avoid more problems. At the advent of the year 398, Roland watches over the Crakehall lands from his seat at his home. Family Tree * Andar Crakehall (Roland's father, 332-388) * Jeyne Crakehall (Roland's Mother, 330-395) * Lord Roland Crakehall (b.357) * Lady Genna Crakehall ( Roland's wife, b.355) * Ser Lewyn Crakehall (Roland's brother, b.362) * Ser Aron Crakehall (Roland's brother, b. 364) * Shiera Lannister née Crakehall (Roland's sister, b.368) * Melessa Lannister née Crakehall (Roland's sister, b.369) * Bethany Crakehall (Roland's daughter, b.378) * Ser Bryan Crakehall (Roland's son, b.379) * Harrold Crakehall (Roland's son b. 381) Timeline 357 AC: Roland is born to Andar and Jeyne Crakehall. 367 AC: Roland begins his training at Casterly Rock as a squire. 373 AC: Roland and Genna Crakehall (née Hawthorne) are married. 375-377 AC: Roland leaves for war with the Reach, riding South with his uncle and the combined Westerlands armies. 378 AC: Roland and Genna's first child, Bethany, is born. 379 AC: Roland and Genna's second child, Bryan, is born. 380 AC: Roland attends the Wedding of Lyonel Lannister and his wife Amarei. 381 AC: Roland and Genna's third child, Harrold, is born. 388 AC: Andar Crakehall dies, Roland becomes Lord of Crakehall 390 AC: Crakehall men including Roland and his brother Lewyn help defend the Golden tooth alongside Royce and Lefford men against Aelyx Targaryen. 396 AC: Roland and Lewyn attend the tourney at Lannisport until being forced to leave due to Lewyn fighting a man over accusations of the Lord Paramount's son cheating. 398 AC: Upon hearing of Lord Lyonel Lannister's plans to ride for King's Landing along with news of the King's waning health, Roland prepares a riding party to arrive in the capital and accompany him, expressly requesting the Lewyn stay behind as castellan. Supporting Characters * Lady Genna Crakehall - Roland's wife (Gift: Voice) * Ser Lewyn Crakehall - Roland's brother and master-at-arms, also castellan when he is away (Gift: Strong) * Bethany Crakehall, Roland's daughter (Gift: Strong) * Ser Bryan Crakehall, Roland's son (Gift: Leadership) * Harrold Crakehall, Roland's son (Gift: undefined) * Ser Symon Stackspear, second-in-command to Ser Lewyn (Gift: undefined) * Septon Eddard (Gift: Zealot, Negative: Sickly) Category:House Crakehall Category:Westerlander